The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-02-16
SERVICE PENSIONS.
The Dependent Parent and In
digent Soldier Bill Vetoed
by the President.
Full Text OF the Executives Mes.
sage Directing to the
Measure.


President transmitting without his approval the
dependent pension bill. The text of the mes
sage is as fOfioWs
ITO the House of Representatives: herewith
return without my approval House bill No.
1887, entitled AN at for the relief OF depend
ent parents and honorably discharged soldiers
and sailors who are now disabled and depend
ent upon their own labor for support
This Is the first general bill that has been
sanctioned by Congress since the close OF the
late civil war permitting pension TO the sol
dlers ana sailors who served in that war upon
the ground OF service and present disabi ty,
alone, and the entire absence of any injuries
received by the casualties or incidents OF such
service.
while by almost constant legislation since
the close OF this war there has been compensa-
ton awarded for every possible injury received
as result OF military service in the Union
army, and while great number of laws passed
for tn tpurpose have been admin stored with
great lfberality and have been supplemented
Dy numerous private acts To reach SD cial
cases, there has not, until ow been avowed
departure from the principle thus far adhered
TO respecting Union soldiers, that the bounty OF
the Government in the way of pensions is
generously bestowed when grant TO those
who, In this military service and in inc Of
been disabled.
But it is a mistake to suppose that service
pensions such as are permitted by the second
section ofthe bin under consideration, are new
TO our legislation In 1918, thirty-hve years after
the close of the Revolutionary war, they were
granted to the soldiers engaged in that strug-
gle, conditional upon service 10 the end Of the
war, or for n term not less than nine months,
and requiring every beneficiary under the act To
be one who is, or hereafter by reason Of his
duced circumstances in life shall be, in need
of assistance from his country for support An
other law OF like character was passed in 1928,
requiring service ito the close of the Rev
dictionary war and still another, passed in
1882, provided for those persons not included ia
the previous statute, but who served two years
at some time during the war, ana giving pro-
portionate sum to those who had served not
less than six months.
"A service pension law was passed for the
benefit of the soldiers OF 1912 in the year 1871
fifty six years after the close of the which
required only sixty days service, and another
was passed in 1s7s-sixty-three years after The
war-requiring only fourteen days service.
The service pension bill passed at this
sion of Congress, thirty-niae years after the
close of the Mexican war, for the benefit of the
soldiers OF that war, requires either some de-
gree OF disability or dependency or that the
claimant under its provisions should be 62 years
of age and in either case that he should have
served sixty days or been actually engaged in u
battle.
1T will be seen that the bill OF 1918 and the
Mexican pension bill, being thus passd nearer
the close OF the wars in which its benefciaries
were engaged than the others-one thrty-fve
years and the other thirty-nine years after the
termination OF such wars-embraced persons
who were quite advanced in age, assumed 10 be
comparatively few i'll number and whose cir
cumstances dependence, and disabilities were
clearly defined and could be quite easily fixed
THE other laws referred to appear to have
been passed at a time remote from the mill
tary service of the persons which they en-
braced that their extreme age alone WAS deemed
TO supply u presumption OF dependence and
need
"The number of enlistments in the revelu-
tionary war is stated to be 800, 791, and in the
war of 1912, 576,622; but il is estimated that on
account OF repeated re-enlistments the num-
Der of individuals engaged in these wars did
not exceed one-half OF the number represented
by these figures In the war with Mexico the
number OF enlistments is reported to be IL, $780,
which represents greater proportion Of indi
/ Y N igff re
in the two preYiOns wars.
~The number OF pensions granted under all
laws TO soldiers OF the revolution is given at
62,OG9 TO soldiers of the war of 1912 and their
widows, &C, u.s. and TO soldiers Of the Mexican
war and their widows, up 70 June 30, 1885,
1919. This number OF pensions was granted to
the soldiers OF n war involving much hard ship
for disabilities incurred n result of such
service and it was not till within the last
month that the few remaining survivors were
awarded service pension.
The war of the rebellion terminated nearly
twenty-five years ago; the number of men fur
nished for its prosecution is said TO be 2,772, 40o
Under these statutes 5jl,5 pensions have been
granted from the year 1861 TO June 30 1885, and
! mere than 1900 pensioners have been added to
/ the rolls byspriNate acts passed TO meet cases.
/ many of them Of questionable merit, which the
/ general laws did not cover. On July l. 1886
! 365,673 pensioners Of all classes were upon the
pension rolls, OF whom 305, 6J5 survivors of
/ the war of the rebellion and their widows and
! dependents: for the year ending June 30, 1887,
S15,OJO0OO have been appropriated for the pay
ment of pensions and the amount expended
! for that purpose from 1861 TO July l, 1886, is
/ sos, 624, S11.5l.
while annually paying out such a vast sum
! for pensions already granted, it is now proposed
/ by the bill under consideration to award
vice pension to soldiers Of all wars in which tho
! United States has been engaged, including of
course, the war OF the rebellion and TO pay
/ those entitled to the benefit of the act So per
month. So far rs il relates to the soldiers of the
! late civil war, the bounty il affords them is
! given thirteen years earlier than il has been
! furnished to the soldiers of any other war and
! before large majority Of its benefciaries have
advanced in age beyond the strength and vigor
/ Of the prime OF life. It exacts only military
or naval service of three months without any
requirements of actual engagement with an
enemy in battle, and without subsection to
any of the actual dangers of war
THE pension il awards is allowed 70 enlisted
men who have not Suffered the least injury
! disability loss, or damage of any kind incurred
! in or in any degree referable to their military
service including those who never reached the
! front at all and those discharged from rendez.
| yous at tho close of the war il discharged three
months after enlistment Under the last call
OF the President for troops, in December 1864
| 1888 men were furnished who were thus dis
| charged.
"The section allowing this pension does, how
ever, require, besides n service OF three months
and an honorable discharge, that those seeking
/ the benefit of the act shall be such as arc now
or may hereafter be suffering from mental or
! physical disability not the result of their own
vicious habits or gross carelessness, which in
capactates them for the performance OF labor
in such degree as TO render them unable 70
earn support, and who are dependent upon
their daily labor for support.
1T provides further that such persons shall
upon making proof Of the fact, be placed on the
list OF invalid pensioners of the United States
and be entitled to receive for such total ina
bility TO procure their subsistence by daily la
Dor SO per month, and such pension shall COM
mence from the filing Of the application in the
Pension Office, upon proof that the disability
Their existed, and continue during the existence
/ of the same in the degree herein provided, that
persons who arc now receiving pensions under
existing laws or whose claims are pending in
the Pension Office, may, by application 20 the
! Comm sssioner of Pensions in such form as he
| may prescribe, receive the benefit of this act
! 1T is manfestly OF the utmost importance
that statutes, which, like pension laws, should
be literally administered as measures OF be-
nevolence in behalf OF worthy benehciaries
should admit Of no uncertainty as TO their gem
erM objects and consequences.
Upon n careful consideration OF the language
OF the section OF this bill above given, il seems
TO me TO be so uncertain, and liable TO such CON
| nicting constructions, and To be subject to such
| unjust and mischievous application, as TO alone
furnish sufficient ground for disappearing the
| proposed legislation. Persons seeking to obtain
the pension provided by this section must DO
now or hereafter
81. suffering from mental or physical disa-
| blity.'
20. Such disability must not be the result OF
their own vicious habits gross carelessness >
%. Such disability must be such as inca